During the operation of an internal combustion engine that performs under varying loads, speeds, pressures and performance requirements, it is desirable to maintain a substantially constant fuel pressure feeding to the fuel injectors and carburetors for the engine. Typically, the source of fuel leading to the engine provides some pulses in its pressure because of the various other operations in the system, such as the opening and closing of valves, the changes in demand on the engine, etc.
In order to accommodate the various unpredictable changes in fuel pressure, it is desirable to use a fuel pressure accumulator in the fuel line between the fuel pump and the engine. The typical fuel pressure accumulator includes a chamber that is partitioned with a flexible diaphragm. An air chamber is maintained on one side of the diaphragm and a fuel pressure accumulation chamber is formed on the other side of the diaphragm. Fuel is fed into and exhausted from the fuel pressure accumulation chamber. When there is a pulse in the pressure of the fuel feeding into or leaving the fuel pressure accumulation chamber, the air pressure on the remote side of the diaphragm responds, either by flexing away from the higher, oncoming fuel pressure, or flexing toward the drop in fuel pressure, with the air pressure behind the diaphragm and the resiliency of the diaphragm accommodating the changes in fuel pressure. This dampens the pulses in pressure of the fuel leading to the carburetor or fuel injectors. The end result is that fuel is fed to the engine with a more uniform, predictable fuel pressure.
While the prior art fuel pressure accumulators have functioned as described above, there is a need for a filter to be combined with the accumulator and a means to visually inspect the filter without having to disassemble the accumulator. There is also a need to provide a fuel pressure accumulator that includes an outlet port that can deliver fuel from a plurality of positions about the accumulator so that the engineer/mechanic can direct the fuel in the most desirable direction toward the carburetor or fuel injectors, or to direct the fuel away from an obstruction in the engine compartment. It is to these features that this invention is directed.